


Coffee for Four

by merry_amelie



Series: Academic Arcadia [178]
Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Genre: Alternate Reality, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-16
Updated: 2011-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 22:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4366055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merry_amelie/pseuds/merry_amelie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Masterful wedding planning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee for Four

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback: Is treasured at merryamelie@aol.com (or leave a comment).
> 
> Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
> 
> For  
> My beta team: Nerowill, Emila-Wan, and Carol  
> Mali Wane for posting  
> My former betas: Alex, Ula, and Padawan Sue
> 
> The lads' first visit to Cream and Sugar: [Saturday Afternoon Fever](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4365995)  
>   
> To Little Owl

Sunlight burnished copper hair, as Ian sat by the window at Cream and Sugar, his cappuccino neglected for the moment. He was chatting with Quinn and his parents about the upcoming wedding, iPad in hand to help hammer out details.  
  
"Only two more weeks," said Ginny enthusiastically, wielding a legal pad of her own.  
  
"Yeah, it's getting down to the wire," Ian muttered distractedly, scrolling through columns of to-do lists. "Okay, let's go over the guest list on the Masterson side, Ginny." He listened patiently, checking off boxes with a flourish, as she ran through a series of familiar and unfamiliar names of couples and families.  
  
Two names stood out in the rush of family, friends, and neighbors. Quinn looked over at his mother, hope in his eyes and in his question. "I'm sorry. Did I hear you say Maureen and Sean are coming?" His aunt and uncle had cancelled on them at the last moment for a New Year's Eve party a few years ago, giving them some ridiculous excuse, and there was no need to speculate about the real reason.  
  
Ginny nodded with a smile, then John said, "I've done a bit of jawing to my brother, and it finally seems to have paid off." He was delighted to have accomplished this bit of family diplomacy for his only son.  
  
Quinn beamed at Ian, his foam mustache just begging to be licked off as soon as they got home, since Ian hadn't brought napkins to the table, the clever lad. "We'll surely be having a full house this time, laddie."  
  
"The way it should be," said Ian.  
  
Quinn gave his lad's hand a pat, while his folks looked on indulgently. John smiled as he remembered his own need to touch Ginny -- her hair, her hand, her cheek -- at every opportunity during their engagement.  
  
The spell was broken by Becca, Ian's former student. She was working as a barista that afternoon and called out to a customer that her hazelnut macchiato was ready. Taking advantage of the pause in the conversation, Ginny said, "The tux fitting is this Saturday for Dad, Keith, and Monty." They were all renting their tuxedos from Party Knights, a formalwear company based in Padua. Of course, Quinn and Ian had bought their own, for their wedding in Massachusetts in 2005.  
  
In fact, one of the things they didn't have to worry about was their attire. They were all set, down to their little shamrock and parrot charms, not to mention the blue and green tartan bowties Quinn had gotten for the earlier occasion. And after a summer full of swimming, they'd have no problem fitting into their tuxes, or so Quinn hoped.  
  
Well aware of this, Quinn had splurged on their wedding cake, announcing that it had to be chocolate mocha hazelnut torte, just like their first one. The baker had rubbed his hands together, dusted with flour and enthusiasm, at the prospect of a special order. He'd even given them a 10% discount, his wedding present to them, he'd told Quinn playfully.  
  
While Quinn was lost in thoughts of mocha cream, as well as his speculation upon where it would taste the best on his laddie, his parents were caught up in the wedding spirit of romance that the boys had brought in with them, as palpable as the sparkle in their eyes.  
  
"You'll look dashing in your tux, honey," Ginny said.  
  
John chuckled as he rubbed her shoulder. "I doubt anybody will notice, not with you there in your beautiful green dress."  
  
It was Quinn and Ian's turn to look on indulgently, oblivious as they were to the similarities between their relationship and that of Quinn's parents. The Masterson family's new openness affected them all, in ways big and little.  
  
"And Jo, Kathy, Lelia, and I are getting our dresses fitted this Saturday, too," said Ginny. "Then we're going out to Trader Watton's for lunch."  
  
"You lassies had better remember that Watton's doesn't take credit cards." Quinn's eyes twinkled. "When I was there a couple of years ago with Danny and Amy Walker, we found that out the hard way." He grinned. "Good times."  
  
"Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be sure to have some cash on hand," Ginny said appreciatively.  
  
"Hey, why should the ladies have all the fun?" said John, making a comical face, which was enhanced by the drizzle of chocolate on his chin. "Let's go out to eat after our appointment. I bet we'll need a pick-me-up after they get done with us." A tux fitting was definitely not his idea of entertainment, especially on a Saturday afternoon in high summer.  
  
"Sounds good." Quinn's eyes lit up. "Ian and I will take you over there in the Audi, and we can make an afternoon of it."  
  
"Cool," said Ian, perking up as he ran through all the restaurants within easy distance of Party Knights. "How 'bout Rakatani Place?"  
  
"Is that the new Indian restaurant on Danton Road?" Quinn asked.  
  
"Mmm-hmm. Mom even gave me a coupon for it." Ian grinned in delight. His natural inclination towards thriftiness had shifted into higher gear in the past few years, much to Monty's approval.  
  
Ginny asked, "What about the florist, Ian? Have you given her the check yet?"  
  
Ian nodded. "I stopped by yesterday on the way to the supermarket." He sipped his cappuccino, a little frown between his brows, since his drink was room temperature by now. Tepid coffee was not his idea of a treat. "When I mentioned that Lelia's going to be our flower girl, she offered to make her a circlet of baby orchids for her hair."  
  
"Ah, won't she look just darlin'?" said Quinn appreciatively. "And this time, she'll be on Han's arm. He'll make a fine usher for us."  
  
"Can't believe she's seven now," Ian marveled. "Remember how tiny she was for our first walk down the aisle?"  
  
Quinn chuckled. "A wee lassie who almost came up to my knee." He sighed softly. "I'll never forget her toddling towards us in her first party dress."  
  
"Our beautiful little princess, all dressed in white," Ian said fondly.  
  
"You have the pictures, Mom and Dad." Ever tactful, Quinn had brought them a wedding album soon after their reconciliation over Christmastime 2006.  
  
"Yes, Quinn, and Lelia did look like a little angel," Ginny said, a wistful smile on her face.  
  
"Not only that, we had your cousin Wendy's account of the wedding." John took a sip of coffee, eyes momentarily hidden by his mug. He didn't want to remind the boys of his regret at not being there for them. "Once your mother found out she'd attended, she pumped her for all the details she could get."  
  
Sensing his regret anyway, Ian smoothly changed the subject. He did not want to add to the Mastersons' disappointment at missing the first ceremony, especially since Quinn had told him every word of their courageous heart-to-heart conversation with him a couple of weeks ago. "Hope everyone likes the band we chose, The Cantina Quintet. They have a good wedding playlist; they'll really mix it up -- our requests, slow songs, classics, kids' romps, you name it."  
  
"We heard them play at Luke, during Chancellor Vellum's reception for the Skyhawks teams this summer. Now that was a party!" Quinn grinned at Ian. "My bold lad here went right up and introduced himself to the bandleader. He told him about our upcoming wedding, and he agreed to the booking right away. Seems his sister's getting married to her girlfriend this November, so he has weddings on the brain."  
  
"Yeah, we really lucked out," said Ian, downplaying his skill at negotiations, as usual.  
  
"Ah, laddie," Quinn murmured, eyes crinkling in merriment. "I know when I see a Master at work."  
  
"A fellow Master, you mean," Ian said, the blend of love and admiration in his voice audible to them all.  
  
Quinn just had to brush his finger over his lad's cheek then, regardless of their audience.  
  
Ginny smiled at her sons. Like Jo before her, she'd come to think of them both that way. "I'm looking forward to hearing the band. Sounds like fun," Ginny said. "I haven't danced with your father since Cousin Megan's wedding."  
  
"Well, then, we have to make the most of our chance," said John, and everyone could tell he was not just referring to dancing.  
  
Indeed, they all savored this second chance to get it right. Quinn and Ian positively beamed at the joy of getting married in their home state, surrounded by love, with both sides of their family standing proudly beside them.


End file.
